


Ten Days of Misery

by CartoonJessie



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-12
Updated: 2015-02-28
Packaged: 2018-03-12 02:55:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 8,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3340976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CartoonJessie/pseuds/CartoonJessie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cast out of Storybrooke, Rumplestiltskin waits alongside its border for any sign that his beloved Belle is alright... AU that takes place in the days after Rumplestiltskin's banishment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day 1

The disappearance of the gigantic wall of ice along Storybrooke's town line had not gone unnoticed. Every day under the Snow Queen's curse, Grace Hatter had been able to see the border from her bedroom window, in the mansion on top of the hill.   
When it disappeared, she was the first to notice it, and she asked her father if it was safe to go for a walk again. After all, with the Snow Queen roaming the Storybrooke forests, Jefferson had been rather strict about taking Grace out.   
And though it was still cold outside, it was a beautiful day as they went for a walk through the forest, the entire place feeling at peace again.  
As they crossed the main road along the forest to head into the other part, Grace suddenly stopped, pulling her father's sleeve.  
"Daddy, is that a man sitting over there?"  
Jefferson looked towards the town border, and indeed, a man was sitting in the middle of the road, his head lowered, and from the shaking of his shoulders, it even appeared as though he was crying.   
Taking his daughter's hand, he carefully pulled her along with him, both of them walking closer to see what was going on, and as they neared the man, Jefferson soon recognized him.  
"Mister Gold," he muttered, completely confused. "Hey - what happened?"  
Though Jefferson's voice was loud enough, the man did not move, and as Jefferson noticed Rumplestiltskin was on the wrong side of the town line, he made Grace stop walking as well, keeping their distance from the border.   
"Sir?" Grace asked kindly, trying to get the man's attention as well, finding him to look so sad and pathetic that her heart went out to him no matter what.   
"He can't hear us," Jefferson muttered. "He crossed the town line... Stay here, Grace..."  
Taking a few steps closer, Jefferson held his hand outstretched, until his fingertips touched the magical veil along the border, and he was quick to pull his hand back again.   
"He can't get back in," Jefferson mumbled, confused as he had no idea what had happened the night before.   
"He's cold, papa," Grace said softly, noticing the man's trembling red hands, and the white frost that came from his mouth. "He doesn't even have a jacket and it's winter..."  
To say that Jefferson and Rumplestiltskin had been friends, would have been a lie. They had been partners at most, two men who seemed to have understood each other's drives. They had not talked since their old days in the Enchanted Forest, and Jefferson did not really feel anything for rekindling that strange old partnership. After all, he was a changed man - he was back with his Grace now.  
Taking off the warm scarf around his neck, Grace looked in mild surprise as her father revealed the nasty scar on his neck. He hardly ever took off his scarfs, but she watched as he rolled it up, then tossed it over the town border, where it ended up straight against the man's head.  
Rumplestiltskin startled, for a moment frightened by whatever was hurled at him, even if it was just a soft bit of clothing, and he looked in surprise as he saw the scarf land in his lap.   
He was confused. Who was on the other side of the town line? Who was so near to him?  
"Belle?" he croaked, his eyes full of despair as he looked up - only to see nothing - no one stepping over the town line.   
Looking at the scarf again, he realized that he had never seen it before, but smelling it, there was a faint scent of lavender, and that was something he did remember from many days of making deals in the Enchanted Forest.   
"Jefferson?" he asked, and he could remember from the time of the first curse that Jefferson always wore scarfs.  
But no reply came, until he suddenly saw something else fly towards him, and he was just in time to catch a little package of cookies – something a child would take to school with them.   
“He looked hungry,” Grace explained to her father, who frowned.   
“I thought you ate those at school,” Jefferson remarked in a confused tone, wondering why his daughter had carried cookies in her pocket.  
She shrugged. “I don’t like them. I usually just give them to my friends.”   
Their conversation was cut short by Rumplestiltskin, who had now started talking to them, clinging onto the scarf and cookies he had gotten, hoping he could get this message across.  
“Please, please, tell Belle I’m so sorry…” There were tears in his eyes, and his voice was hoarse, and it made both Jefferson and Grace uncomfortable. “Tell her I’ll make it up to her – please!”  
“Who’s Belle?” Grace whispered, and Jefferson frowned.  
“His wife,” he replied. “They married a little while back.”  
“Shall we go and tell her?” Grace asked, but Jefferson hesitated. There was nothing in it for him.  
“I’d rather not get involved in this. He seems to be waiting for her. I’m sure she’ll be back soon enough. Come on, let’s go.”


	2. Day 2

Doctor Whale’s car pulled over before he reached the town line, and as Jefferson had told him that morning, mister Gold was still sitting there, a scarf around his neck that didn’t match his suit at all, his hair greasy, and his hands shivering from the cold. There was a slight drizzle and the ground looked wet, and though Whale believed Gold was a strong man in his own way, he knew this weather wasn’t good on anyone.   
Despite all of the times Rumplestiltskin had screwed people over, Whale could not just ignore his oath as a doctor. He needed to help in some way, and he could remember from during the first curse that mister Gold had taken some medication to numb the pain in his leg. It had helped him walk back then, and he could use it again now.   
Still, it was all a very weird situation. Gold couldn’t just enter Storybrooke again, and Whale believed that it was stupid of him to just sit along the border and wait like a lost puppy. It would have been better for him to look for that diner that was a few miles along the road.   
Going into his car, he took a blanket from his trunk, as well as the tuna sandwich he had saved for lunch, and the medication he had also prescribed Gold all those years ago. He first threw the blanket over, hitting Gold’s face in the process, and this startled Gold, who immediately looked up, even though he couldn’t see anyone.  
“Belle?” he asked hopefully. “Please, Belle, I’m so sorry! I love you!”  
But as he was tossed a tuna sandwich next, he frowned. He wasn’t a big fan of tuna, and Belle knew that too, so the chance that it was Belle on the other side of the town border was small. Or was she so mad at him that she’d only make him tuna sandwiches now? No – they weren’t cut into triangles – so it wasn’t Belle, he knew that much.   
As the small bottle of medication was tossed into his lap, Gold realized who he was dealing with, and he only needed an instant to figure out that Jefferson probably told Whale about him. They were old acquaintances, after all.  
“Doctor Whale,” he croaked. “Thank you – please tell Belle I love her and I’m sorry!” Tears came to his eyes as he thought back on their horrible farewell of two days before, and he refused to acknowledge that he would never see his Belle again.   
Doctor Whale, however, had no idea what had happened to make Rumplestiltskin cross the town line, and he decided to take it up with Ruby. After all, Ruby was much closer to the inner circle, so it was more likely that she knew something he didn’t. It was curious though, that someone had forced Rumplestiltskin to leave Storybrooke. Could Belle have done that? Was that why Gold was saying he was sorry? It just seemed so unlikely – she had always been so much in love with him.


	3. Day 3

It was hardly surprising to Ruby when she had heard all the horrible things Rumplestiltskin had done from the mouth of Hook at Granny’s Diner. Nor did it come as a true surprise that Belle had forced Rumplestiltskin over the town border. Belle wasn’t a villain or anything close to it, and it was a surprise that it had taken her so long to figure out the truth. Not that Ruby could blame her, Gold was a master of manipulation.  
Yet, as Ruby approached said town border, a little out of breath from running, it was strange to see Rumplestiltskin sit there, looking so terribly defeated, a scarf around his neck and a blanket wrapped around him, looking pale and exhausted and utterly defeated. He was just sitting there, his back bent, and Ruby could not stop frowning, she was not approving of what she saw.   
Doctor Whale had told her that he doubted Gold would survive for very long if he would not leave that spot, for it was freezing cold and he needed to eat just as much as any other man did, and so Ruby found herself returning to the diner, not minding the distance. She loved to run, and as it was her day off, she did not mind running hence and forth a few times over.   
She took a bag of dry buns with her, as well as a bag of apples and a big bottle of water, and careful not to startle him too much, she threw the bag of buns first, but he still jumped up from where he sat, the flying object completely startling him as it landed right next to him. He was wary for a moment, afraid something else was going to follow, and nearly fell over completely when a bag of heavy apples was tossed against his torso.   
“Belle?” he asked hopefully, wondering who else would toss him food – who else would care about him surviving this? “Belle, I’m so sorry, I really am! Please forgive me, I was so stupid – so selfish, please…”  
But he was shut up when a red wool hat flew into his face, smelling of a strange perfume he did not immediately recognize, but then it hit him. “Red…” he muttered. “Ruby!” He had seen her wear this hat before, so it had to be hers.   
As a bottle of water rolled over the town line in his direction, he stopped it before it could roll even further from him, and there were tears in his eyes as he opened it and drank from it, feeling very thirsty indeed.   
He had never done anything to help these people, not really, yet they were helping him. First Jefferson, then doctor Whale, now Ruby.   
“Thank you,” he said all teary-eyed. “Thank you so much. Tell Belle I love her and I’m sorry!”  
But even though Ruby saw how sincerely he spoke those words, she wasn't going to tell Belle.   
Belle had already given up so much for Rumplestiltskin. She was probably trying to get over him – believing he had left. Did she have to give up everything to start a new life with him now? Even when he had tricked her so badly? No, she was going to stay out of this. If Belle were to join Rumplestiltskin on the other side of the town line and would end up miserable in return, Ruby would never forgive herself.


	4. Day 4

The fourth day, it had started to rain pretty hard, and though Rumplestiltskin had sought shelter underneath a tree by the side of the road, he was still right next to the town border. He had put Ruby’s hat down on the spot where he had sat the days before, and as he looked around him, his blanket drenched from the rain – even despite the shelter of the tree – he felt completely miserable. But what other choice did he have? He could hardly walk, and though there were some branches around that would have been sturdy enough to support his weight, he didn’t want to leave – not really.  
Yes, he had made plans to go to New York with Belle, but he had done that for her! Not for himself.   
Well, perhaps he had wanted to see Neal’s place again, for the first time after his son’s death, but he had at least hoped that Belle would be by his side. He had wanted to offer her the world on a plate… Why hadn’t that been enough?   
It was nearly evening when he suddenly saw something else got tossed over the town line, and landed just besides Ruby’s hat. He stumbled there, to notice it was a walking cane – a brown one – not very stylish, but… it was a walking stick none the less. He was hardly able to limp over there, but he managed to do it without making too much of a fool of himself, and he was a little wary. Was this Belle – finally? Was this her way of telling him he needed to move on?  
No, surely she would have left him with one of his own canes, not this old one he had never seen.   
“Thank you,” he said, his voice a little hoarse, and he looked uneasy, realizing he had no idea who was standing on the other side of the town line. Did that person want him to leave? Or was it all the same to whoever was out there? When he suddenly saw a tip of a closed umbrella emerge slowly out of nothing at all, he instinctively reached out his hand, taking the umbrella, pulling it out of Storybrooke, tears streaming down his face as he realized that things could only come out, but he could not go back in. He had known that for longer than these past days, but it had never been an issue until he had realized Belle wouldn’t join him.   
Rumplestiltskin knew this umbrella, and when he realized who was on the other side of the town line, he was hardly able to contain his emotions.   
“Doctor Hopper, you must have seen Belle!” he said hopefully, even if his tone was full of misery as well.  
He knew Doctor Hopper had been one of Belle’s closest friends in Storybrooke, and he hoped that he had looked after her. “Is she alright?” he wondered. “Please, please, tell her I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt her – ever! Please tell her I’m here for her – not – NOT that I expect her to cross the town line or anything of the sort – I know she wouldn’t – but – but… Just if she wants to see me, or write me a letter, or anything, please…” He was sobbing now, gulping down his tears. “Please, please, tell her… I can’t live like this… I… I’m afraid – please… I don’t know what to do…” He wiped his hands through his eyes, trying to dry his tears, but they kept on falling, even as he opened the umbrella as shelter from the rain. He was already soaking wet, so the umbrella came too late, but the gesture was still appreciated.  
He could hardly believe he was doing this, but he was, and he gulped away all of his pride as he said: “Please, doctor Hopper, I… I need help.”  
But even as he stood there for several minutes, nothing came across the border, not even a pebble or a branch that could have been tossed as a sign that someone was listening. Perhaps he was only talking to himself after all. Returning to his spot beneath the tree, he took another apple from the bag Red had brought him the day before. He wasn’t eating much at all, but he was eating something. He didn’t want to end up as a corps either, not when there was still a chance that Belle would come to see him.   
He didn’t want to put her through that, he had put her through so much already. 


	5. Day 5

Something rather strange happened on the fifth day. At some time during the noon, while the sun was shining pretty high in the sky, a large pebble was thrown across the border, rolling along the street and alerting Rumplestiltskin that someone was there. Getting up and stumbling over, leaning heavily on his new cane, still wearing Jefferson’s scarf, he hoped that it was Belle, as always, and he uttered a weak: “Belle? Is it you?”  
He gulped, trying to stay calm, even if his nerves were raging, and felt disappointment as two woolen gloves were dropped in front of his feet. They were handmade, he could see that much, and quite well. But who on earth would knit gloves? His Belle certainly wouldn’t, and he couldn’t see Regina do anything of the sort either.   
“Th-thank you,” he mumbled as he bent down to pick them up, noticing that something was in the gloves. One of the gloves was filled with small change – a sadistically large amount of small change. It could easily be twenty dollars – perhaps even fifty. The other glove held some paper in it, and for a moment he thought it was money, until he realized it was a note.   
It was the first note he had gotten since he had crossed the town line – the first bit of true communication with the people from his old life, and he realized he did not recognize the handwriting.   
_“Black gloves to go with your black heart. Here’s some change to take a bus. If you’re asking me, you’re wasting your time and you’re not getting any younger, prettier or healthier sleeping underneath that tree. Forget Belle and go get a life. Are you honestly expecting her to return to you after she caught you when you were about to crush a man’s heart? Not to mention that the entire town knows what you did to the nuns now. A man your age should be wise enough to know when it’s time to go.”_  
Rumplestiltskin breathed deeply through his nose, the words sending him on a guilt-trip that sounded as though it could only be written by Granny herself.  
“And a woman your age should know when her lasagna is overpriced,” he muttered bitterly, annoyed that he could not see her face and gauge what way was best to get back at her.   
He was just in time to dodge a rock that was hurled at his face, and growled in an upset tone, frustrated that he couldn’t even be left in peace now. He was just waiting for Belle.   
Reminding himself of that, he said, though not too warmly: “Thanks for your effort. Please tell Belle I’m sorry. That is all…”   
He wasn’t going to bare any other part of his heart to Granny, even if the situation had him in tears for the larger part of the day and most of the night.


	6. Day 6

It was still rather early in the morning when a plastic bottle of coke suddenly rolled across the street, and Rumplestiltskin knew that it wouldn’t be Belle giving him something like that, and he wondered if it was Red again. Why didn’t these people ever leave notes?  
But as he picked up the bottle, he saw that there was a little note, just underneath the plastic, and as he pulled it out and read it, he felt his heart skip a beat.   
_“It’s Henry.”_  
His grandson – _his grandson_ had come to see him. He felt a mix of pride, happiness, regret and utter disgust for himself.  
“Oh Henry,” he said, staring into the nothing before him. “What must you be thinking of me… I’m… I must be… a _shame_ to you. Like I was to your father. Only for different reasons when he was your age…” Thinking of Baelfire hurt him, perhaps now more than ever, and he quickly tried to change the subject, which wasn’t very hard since Henry couldn’t reply to him. “You are such an amazing boy – and your mother told me why you came to work for me. To help her find a happy ending. I… I told her I would get one for myself and now… now look where I ended up.”  
He could remember every word he had exchanged with Regina in her car. How wrong he had been – and how stubborn he had been to acknowledge that perhaps their happy ending was something impossible to get. “I’m afraid she was right. We don’t get happy endings.” He tried not to cry in front of his grandson, even if he was getting emotional now.   
A paper – ripped from a notebook – floated on the ground towards him, and as he took off Granny’s silly gloves and picked it up, he read: “I understand. You and mom are both villains, and I know it’s hard to find your happy ending then. You think you’re doing the right thing, and then you’re not. I must go to school now, but I will be back later and I’ll write to you. Bye!”  
Rumplestiltskin cried as he read those words, the first words of hope he had gotten in those six days, and this note was one worth keeping, as compared to Granny’s note of the day before.   
“Bye,” he said hoarsely, tears streaming down his face, wondering if Henry knew anything about how Belle was doing, and if he did, would it be alright to ask him?

He counted the hours as he waited for Henry to return, still hoping that Belle would beat him to it. Hours later, when a plastic sack was gently tossed over the border, he startled though. He had not expected Henry back so soon, and when he picked up the heavy sack and opened it, he saw there were no less than seven books inside.   
“Belle?” he asked hopefully, wondering if it was her way of sending him a message. It would seem like something Belle would do, but as he saw the books and noticed they weren’t even from the library, something felt off. Not to mention that the titles of the books were a bit… _strange_ – even for Belle. 

  *  _On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief through the Five Stages of Loss_
  * _Compelled to Control: Recovering Intimacy in Broken Relationships_
  * _Getting Through the Day: Strategies for Adults Hurt as Children_
  * _When Bad Things Happen to Good People_
  * _Women who Love too much_
  * _Clean – Overcoming Addiction_
  * _Calming Your Anxious Mind: How Mindfulness and Compassion Can Free You from Anxiety, Fear and Panic_



Frowning, Rumplestiltskin read each title, getting more and more confused with each word. Who would bring him these?   
But then he remembered – he had asked Archie for help, and while Doctor Hopper couldn’t just step over the border for a session, he could drop these off. Opening the covers of each book, he found a loose paper in the book that had been on top in the bag. Trying to decipher the doctor’s handwriting, he anxiously began reading, a little afraid of what the doctor would have to say in the few sentences he saw on the paper.  
“I hope these books can help you recover. I know life hasn’t been easy on you – and I will not pretend to understand what it has been like to be the Dark One. But as far as my opinion is concerned, I think there has always been good in you – just as there has always been a monster, at least since the day you became the Dark One. Without magic in your life, it should be easier to resist magic’s dark pull. Your addiction to magic no doubt has changed you, and I don’t think you are still the man you used to be before you became the Dark One. But perhaps these books will help you understand where it went wrong, and they might be able to bring some order into your life. My advice to you would be to leave the forest for now and to at least find shelter. Staying here will only make you sick and weak. If you insist on camping out here, then do it during the day, but make sure that you have some place warm and safe to stay during the night. If you wish, I can return next week and write you a letter to talk about this with you. My door has always been open for you, and right now, it still is – figuratively, at least. – Archibald Hopper.”   
Rumplestiltskin gulped heavily. He appreciated the gesture, but why was there nothing in here about Belle? It was frustrating.   
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said stubbornly. “I need to know if Belle is alright.” Even if he knew it would break his heart to hear she was alright – because he certainly wasn’t. “I’ll wait as long as I need to.”  
It remained silent, and Rumplestiltskin sat down in the middle of the road again – but even though it was very cold, it was at least dry. Reading the titles of all the books once more, he eventually picked up “ _Women who love too much_ ” – but only because it seemed that it would be the only book that would give him insight into what Belle would be going through right now. Or at least that was what he hoped.   
He read and waited for Henry, but the boy did not come, and though part of him was worried something had happened to Henry, he feared even more that the boy had realized he was not worth investing any time in. He couldn’t even blame the kid. 


	7. Day 7

Regina did not understand why Henry asked her to join him for a walk that morning, convinced young teenage boys rather spent time behind a computer or reading comics in bed. But as a loving mother, she obliged him, a little confused that he was walking with her towards the town line while he carried his backpack. “You’re not planning on leaving Storybrooke, are you?” she asked. “That backpack looks rather heavy. What are you carrying in there?”   
Licking his lips, Henry thought for a moment before he replied. “It’s my grandpa... At the town line, I mean, not in my backpack.”  
Regina frowned, confused. “What? Rumplestiltskin?”  
Henry nodded quickly. “Grace told me about it in school. She said she had gone for a walk with her father, you know, the Mad Hatter - that was like the day after Belle sent grandpa away – and they had seen him – crippled – outside the town line – hoping it was Belle who had come back for him.”  
“What?!” Regina was baffled. “Why is this the first I hear of this. Is he still there?!”  
“He was yesterday,” Henry replied, and Regina gasped even louder.   
“You saw him yourself? You went there?”  
Henry nodded, not realizing how that was something he had to hide from Regina, but also not fully understanding why she seemed so surprised. Had she really thought Rumplestiltskin would leave so soon?   
“It’s not like he can hurt me now – or that he ever would. He just… He’s a bit pathetic, actually. I think he feels really sorry for what he did.”  
“For trying to kill Hook? I doubt it.” Regina sniffed. “But no doubt that he regrets losing Belle.”   
If there was one thing Regina could understand, then it was the pain of being separated from your loved one. Just the fact she was walking towards the town line was a painful thing to her. It was where she had last seen her Robin, and she actually wished it was Robin who was waiting for her on the other side, and not Rumplestiltskin waiting for Belle.  
As they neared the border and saw Rumplestiltskin sitting in the middle of the road, reading a book, Regina stood still for a moment.   
“I’ll be damned, it really is him…”  
Walking closer, Regina just stared at him. He looked nothing like the fancy-dressed pawnbroker she had known him as in all those years. He was scruffy, his hair was greasy and messy, and he was dirty from sleeping in the forest. He had even looked better under Zelena’s control, and that was saying something.   
In the meanwhile, Henry had knelt down by his backpack and was emptying its contents. He started rolling small bottles of orange juice towards his grandfather, who jumped a little when he heard the bottles rolling towards him, quickly reaching out for them and putting them up straight besides him, wondering who would bring him six small bottles before more bottles followed – only these were four slightly bigger water bottles.   
“It’s very important to stay hydrated,” Henry told Regina when he noticed her unbelieving gaze, and she rolled her eyes in response.   
“What else is in that bag?” she muttered as she elegantly crouched down as well, looking up when Rumplestiltskin suddenly asked: “Who’s there?”  
She saw how Henry immediately reached for a notepad and started writing, but she stopped him by gently putting her hand on his.   
“Sweetheart, let me handle this, I can write notes with magic. Much quicker, don’t you think?”  
Just thinking about it, a small note appeared in her hand, and as she tossed it across the border, it ended up before his feet. It was rolled up, only a few inches big, but thankfully Rumplestiltskin spotted it.   
“Regina and Henry,” was what it said on the note, and to see his expression change to one of hope as he read it was strangely enough one of the most satisfying things the former Queen had ever beheld.   
“I’m going to ask him what he’s still doing here. He’s crazy – there’s no way for him to come back in.” Regina tossed another piece of paper across the border, and Rumplestiltskin picked it up as quickly as he could, unfurling and reading it in one breath.   
The question froze him for a moment, and there was a pained expression as he thought about what to reply, but he eventually said, his voice rather careful: “I’m staying here for Belle. In case she needs to see me, or wants to communicate with me. Once I leave…” He gulped. “I… I don’t want to live without ever hearing from her again. I’ll stay here as long as it takes.”  
Regina still thought he was crazy, and as she sent another message across the border, she told Henry what words were in there. “If she would come to see you right now, she’d probably run straight back to the library. Have you got any idea how you look? You need a shower and a shave.”  
Rumplestiltskin shook his head, slightly amused by Regina’s words. Even though he could not hear her speak them, he knew exactly how she would sound.   
“The forests around Storybrooke are severely lacking in showers and bathing facilities,” Rumplestiltskin replied, some of his old snark returning to him, and Regina chuckled, turning to Henry.  
“Luckily, we’ve got magic on our side…” With a wave of her hand, a bowl of hot water appeared, and as she gently pushed it across the border, she was happy to see Rumplestiltskin grin, pulling it closer.   
“He needs a shave,” Henry decided, and Regina complied by gathering a toilet bag filled with shaving cream, razors, a comb, brush, as well as toothpaste and a toothbrush.   
“Is there deodorant in there?” Henry wondered, and Regina whirled her finger, magically adding deodorant to the bag. It was soon pushed over the town line, and Rumplestiltskin looked as happy as ever, for once feeling that luck was on his side.  
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” he repeated as he looked through the bag.  
His gratitude surprised Regina, and she could not hide her smirk. For some reason, it pleased her to do this for him.   
“Ask him if he needs anything else,” Henry urged Regina, and a note with that question appeared by Rumplestiltskin’s feet again.   
“I can’t possibly ask for more after you’ve already given me so much,” he said humbly. “But some extra food would be nice.”  
Henry dug deeper in his backpack and got out some chocolate chip cookies, immediately tossing them towards his grandpa, who caught it with a slightly confused expression.   
Noticing this, Regina let out a slightly frustrated sigh. “Really, what is he expecting? I can’t just toss a banquet with caviar over the border, you know.”  
Henry frowned as well, thinking about something else that Regina could summon, something that would not spoil too quickly. “Maybe some canned foods?” he proposed carefully. “Things that won’t spoil so quickly.”  
“We must be able to do better than that,” Regina muttered, thinking to herself. Closing her eyes for a moment, she imagined a wonderful salad, and the next moment she was holding a plastic lunchbox filled with the salad, even with a little plastic fork stuck to its side.   
“Not bad,” Henry said, grinning.   
Regina sent one last message to Rumplestiltskin, saying: “Get ready to catch your lunch…” and when he looked up, she carefully threw the box to him, which he caught without too much effort.   
Opening the box and seeing its contents, Rumplestiltskin hummed, very happy to be seeing something else than apples, buns and cookies for a change. He immediately started eating, only now realizing how hungry he truly was. He had already lost a few pounds, but had no intention of wasting away completely.   
He ate half the contents of the box, then realized that the bowl of hot water was going to cool down if he did not freshen up quickly, and he carefully closed his lunchbox to freshen up his hands and face in the warm water.   
When he finished washing up, he turned to the border again, thanking Regina and Henry from the bottom of his heart, and he noticed that they had tossed another note over the border – though he had missed when they had done that exactly.   
“We’ll be back – Regina and Henry”  
He smiled – even if this was not what he had wanted the most. But the fact that Regina and Henry still cared for him – _truly_ cared for him – warmed his lonely, aching heart.


	8. Day 8

Henry and Regina returned in the morning, once more bringing a lunchbox – but this time not with a salad – but with bacon and egg sandwiches. More bottles of water rolled into his world without magic, even if he had hardly drank anything. There were also towels and an amazingly warm and waterproof sleeping bag that were tossed across, and it felt like Christmas had come early.   
Rumplestiltskin had slept very poorly in all those days, mostly due to the cold and ache in his leg – even if the pills of doctor Whale had helped somewhat.   
The moment Regina and Henry left again, he moved into the brand-new sleeping bag, allowing his bones to be warmed again, and he was asleep within minutes.   
His dreams were filled with regret and longing for his Belle. He also dreamed he was reunited with his son in the afterlife and awoke with a start, sitting up straight and remembering everything that had happened. Though the thought that Baelfire was waiting for him was a comforting one, he did not want to go. He did not want to die, not while Belle was miserable – or at least he thought she was. It had been over a week. Was she starting to get over him? Did she think of him at night, or was she out there, laughing with friends?   
Both thoughts made his heart ache, and as he allowed himself to wallow in self-pity, he cried for a few moments. So what if anyone was watching on the other side of the town line. He would never be a part of Storybrooke again – and he only now realized what a dreadful thought that was.  
His shop and all his wonderful items – they would be out of his reach forever. He would never again surprise Belle in the library for a lunch date, or have her sleep over in his shop during another Storybrooke crisis. He would never be able to protect his Belle from whatever villain would come her way – but as he realized that perhaps no villain had been as bad to her as he had been, he broke down completely, sobbing and grieving the loss of the best relationship of his life – or at least it had been until she had seen the truth about him.   
Too emotional to read, he just sat there, staring blankly ahead, his face betraying the misery he felt inside.   
But when he felt a little stone hit him in the chest, he looked up, realizing that more tiny stones were being thrown his way, most of them missing their target though.   
“What is it?” he asked, looking along the street to see if the person on the other side of the town line was trying to give him something, but there was nothing there, and the throwing of the pebbles did not stop. Instead, the pebbles that were being thrown were only getting bigger, until Rumplestiltskin had to raise his hands in front of his face in order to protect himself.   
“Please stop,” he urged, wondering who it was that would do that to him. Surely not his Belle. His Belle would never be that cruel. But that left the rest of town. Was it Granny again? Was she upset that he had not left, and was that the reason why she was tossing pebbles?  
Somehow he didn’t imagine that to be her style.   
Eventually he took his cane and sought refuge behind a tree, and he could hear the stones landing in his proximity for another half an hour or so, before it stopped. He waited another hour until it was dark before he returned to his sleeping bag, hoping that whoever had come to bully him would not return, but he was starting to fear again. So far, he had been lucky that everyone who had come had tried to help him in some way, even if they hardly cared at all – but this… this had been threatening… Who said that they wouldn’t bring their guns or crossbows the next time they visited the town line? It was a terrifying thought, and Rumplestiltskin found himself moving all his belongings to the other side of the tree, where it was out of sight for those looking at him from Storybrooke.   
He contemplated leaving, but the thought that Belle might come to see him eventually convinced him to stay, and so he did.


	9. Day 9

Regina returned – without Henry this time, as he was in school – and Rumplestiltskin immediately asked how Belle was, disappointment flooding over him when Regina said she had not seen Belle in the past weeks, and that she had only heard during the first days that Belle had been locking herself up in her library apartment.   
He learned that his shop had been closed since he had left, and that Belle had not returned there, not even once, and he could not help but ache for Belle.  
“Tell her I’m so sorry,” he told Regina. “Tell her that I did not realize what I was doing – that I would have communicated with her if I had known what the price for my lies would have been.”  
She communicated a simple line back to him. “I’ll see what I can do.”   
For Rumplestiltskin, that was enough, and he thanked Regina a dozen times.  
Then the question came why he had moved all his belongings behind the tree – for when she had arrived that day, Regina had thought that he had left for a moment.   
Even though it was shameful to admit, Rumplestiltskin said that someone had been around to toss stones at him, and he did not feel safe sleeping in plain sight of whatever bully would pass by.   
Their conversation lingered on that topic for a few minutes, Regina soon warning Rumplestiltskin for Hook – and how the pirate had not forgiven Rumplestiltskin for anything and was unlikely to ever do just that. There was a risk that Henry would tell Emma and that Emma would tell Hook – and so Regina promised Rumplestiltskin to have a word with Henry before it reached that point.   
Rumplestiltskin, however, felt nothing but fear at the prospect that Hook would come to the town line before Belle would. For a moment, he contemplated leaving and just agreeing on an hour to meet with Regina – and perhaps Belle, if Regina could get her to come – but at the same time he did not want to go out in the world without magic. It was a scary thought as well, and this time, there was no one he was looking for – no one he was hoping to reunite with. The only person he wanted, was still in Storybrooke.   
“Please, talk to Belle,” he urged Regina, and her promise to do so that very day, calmed Rumplestiltskin down a bit. Perhaps Belle would come before anyone else would.   
But the rest of the day went by quietly, and Rumplestiltskin waited anxiously – not closing his eyes even when it became dark – or when midnight passed.   
Why wasn’t she there? Hadn’t Regina spoken to her? And if Belle was too angry, why didn’t Regina come to leave him a note?   
“Please Belle,” he whispered as he sat inside the sleeping bag, trying to stay warm while it was freezing outside. “Please, my love, I promise to do everything I can to make you happy. Just give me one more chance.”


	10. Day 10

The day before, Regina had looked everywhere for Belle. She had checked the apartment above the library, the library itself, Gold’s house, the pawnshop and Granny’s. Unable to find her in any of those places, the former Queen had run out of ideas, and had decided to try again the next day.  
It was morning when Regina took a seat in the library, figuring that Belle would come at some point, to sort the books that people had returned. She always did. But it wasn’t until noon that Belle finally entered the library, a wary expression on her face when she spotted Regina.  
She didn’t say anything but merely stood by the door, watching as Regina neared her.  
“Hey,” Regina greeted her, a little taken aback by how steel-cold Belle’s expression was. She didn’t even seem to be a little bit shaken by everything that had happened – or perhaps that was just the appearance of it. “I needed to talk to you.”  
“About what?” Belle snapped – not bothering to be polite, and this alarmed Regina a bit.  
Through all the abuse Belle had gone through, she had always remained rather positive. This shortness did not suit her, but Regina couldn’t really blame the girl.  
“Rumplestiltskin,” Regina replied, and Belle moved away from her former captor, separating the two of them as she went to gather some books behind the circulation desk.  
“Nothing to talk about,” Belle replied briefly, grabbing a few books and heading into the library.  
“I disagree,” Regina said sharply, following Belle. “Unless you already know that he has been waiting for you by the town border since the moment you cast him out.”  
The books nearly toppled out of Belle’s arms as she heard that, and her cold gaze changed into an alarmed one as she looked into Regina’s eyes, looking for any sign that the old Queen was telling any lies. It would not be the first time…  
“He’s been waiting for you,” Regina repeated, adding softly: “To talk to you. He wants to know you’re alright.”  
As cold as her gaze had been before, the hard look in her eyes was breaking away, and soon tears were streaming down her face as she shook her head. “You’re joking,” she said, but it was clear that she was already believing it.  
“I wish I was,” Regina replied with a sigh. “But it’s really him – and he’s really there – _pathetically_ waiting for you.”  
Belle started sobbing, and Regina pulled a handkerchief from her purse, giving it to the librarian, who immediately took it to dry her eyes – even if she was nowhere close to stop crying.  
“How… how is he doing? H-has he eaten anything since he got there?” Belle looked at Regina in alarm, only now considering that it had been ten days – he could very well be dying.  
“He’s fine,” Regina assured her. “People have been tossing food and stuff along the town border. He’s a bit cold, and he really needs a shower, but other than that he seems alright.”  
Belle’s miserable look suddenly changed to a suspicious one and she stopped her crying as she repeated: “People?! Who else knows about Rumplestiltskin and hasn’t told me?”  
Regina wisely kept her mouth shut, but Belle didn’t press the matter.  
She knew what she had to do. 

* * *

 

A small crowd was gathered at the town line, but for once, no one was paying attention to Rumplestiltskin as he sat in his sleeping bag, leaning against the tree as he waited for any news from his Belle. Instead, everyone listened to Regina as she told them about Belle’s reaction to hearing the news.  
“So she’ll come?” Henry asked, looking up to his mother, who nodded.  
“That’s awfully romantic,” Grace sighed, looking at Henry for a moment, which did not go unnoticed by her father.  
“Nothing romantic about it,” Jefferson muttered, a little frustrated about the way his daughter looked at Regina’s son.  
“But will she cross the line?” Whale wondered. “There’s no coming back.”  
Red shrugged as she stood beside him. “I don’t know… I mean… she’s brave enough to do it. But I can also imagine her just talking to him. With notes and such.”  
“She’d be an idiot to cross the line!” Granny said harshly. “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. And Gold is as old as they come. To believe that he could better himself…”  
“I must disagree,” Archie said. “I know for a fact that he realizes he was wrong in how he handled his issues, and I have faith that he will try to mend his ways. With magic out of the equation, that shouldn’t be too hard. He’s an addict – remove him from his addiction and he might have a good life.”  
“Oi! What’s going on here?”  
Everyone turned their heads when they saw a young man emerge from the forest, a nearly-empty bottle of whiskey in his hand. Granny and Red were quick to recognize Will Scarlet, one of their loyal customers who was well-known for his unquenchable thirst for any kind of alcoholic beverage.  
“Are you all here to look at the man in the sleeping bag?” he asked, his eyes a little cross as he approached the group. “He can’t see us, you know. It’s fun tossing little stones at him. He gets all worked up about it.”  
Red smacked the back of his head as soon as he was in reach.  
“You idiot. That’s mister Gold!”  
At the mention of that name, it looked like something clicked inside Will’s head, and he frowned for a moment, then spent a few more moments sparing into the empty space before him.  
“The idiot is so drunk – he wouldn’t even recognize his own mother if she was standing in front of him,” Granny muttered darkly.  
“Look, there she comes,” Whale suddenly announced, and everyone turned their heads to watch the black Cadillac as it slowly rode towards the town line, slowing down and coming to a full stop in front of them.   
Belle hesitated, then got out of the car, her hands trembling as she approached the people standing there, averting her eyes as she tried to think of what to say.   
“Will you be leaving Storybrooke?” Archie asked in a gentle tone, and Belle nodded softly, tears in her eyes.   
Archie was quick to hug her, and Belle hugged him back, crying a little as she thought about her sweet friends. Red joined their hug, as did Henry, while the others looked on.   
“You should be able to call us from outside of Storybrooke,” Regina said as Belle had taken a step back again. “So you can let us know how it’s all going.”   
Belle nodded, too emotional to say anything at all, and after everyone wished her the best, she returned to the car, driving it across the border. 

Everyone looked on as Rumplestiltskin saw his Cadillac appear, and he tried to get out of the sleeping bag as quickly as he could, taking the walking stick to walk over to his car, but stopping when Belle got out of it first, his bottom lip trembling as he looked at her. She too was overcome by emotion, and tears streamed down her face.  
“Belle,” he whispered emotionally. “Please, forgive me for everything I’ve done that has caused you such pain…”  
She looked at him, noticing his stubble and the dirt on his cheek, as well as the scarf that had belonged to Jefferson and the black gloves that didn’t match the rest of his suit. She saw his little home besides the road – the bottles of water he had gathered and the food he had kept there, and realizing that he had slept there for ten days made her heart ache.  
“I also wish to apologize,” she said with a trembling voice. “For kicking you out without as much as your wallet or any of your belongings. That was cruel.”  
“But I deserved it,” he argued. “I lied to you about so many things - I gave you a false dagger – I didn’t tell you what I was trying to accomplish and did not dare to ask for your help. I thought you would not understand. I could not let go of magic.”  
“But now you have,” Belle said softly. “You no longer have magic, do you?”  
Rumplestiltskin shook his head, tears streaming from his eyes.  
“It’s hard – living without magic – at least for me. But while I sat here, I realized what was important. I realized what I needed in my life – and that wasn’t magic – that was you. The thought of never seeing you again was what hurt the most, Belle.”  
He took a hesitating step closer to her, leaning on his cane as he did so, but it was Belle who closed the distance between them and hugged him close, and she felt his body shake as he sobbed against her, completely overcome with emotion.  
“You’re so cold,” she noticed. “Get inside the car, I’ll grab your belongings.”  
But he did not leave her side as they moved everything he had gotten from the people of Storybrooke into the car. He was relieved to notice many large suitcases in the back of the car – no doubt that they were filled with clothes, books and more of their old belongings, and he saw his own wallet on the passenger seat, next to Belle’s purse.  
As they were ready to leave, with Rumplestiltskin sitting in the passenger seat, Belle cast one last glance in the direction of the town border. She could not see anyone there – but she knew that they were watching, and that they cared.  
Smiling softly, she raised her hand and waved, and as her smile widened, she sat down in the driver’s seat again, looking at Rumplestiltskin as he sat beside her, his gaze a little frightened, but mostly hopeful.  
“So,” she said gently. “We get a second chance. A new shot to make our relationship work. Where will we go?”  
Rumplestiltskin thought about it, then smiled as he replied: “A motel? I need a shower and a shave. I intend to make it up to you – but not when I look like this.”  
Belle chuckled. “Good idea. Let’s go find a motel. I figure we have a lot of talking to do before we can make any plans for our future.”  
He nodded, and as Belle started the car and drove away, he could not help but smile. She had said ‘our’ future. She wasn’t giving up on him just yet. And he was going to prove to her that he had learned a great deal in these ten days of misery. He was going to do everything to make her happy – proving once and for all that they too could get a happy ending. 

**The end**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your wonderful comments as I was posting this story. It was greatly appreciated.  
> Please check out my other fanfics too if you liked this one. It would mean the world to me.  
> Hope you will all like season 4B when it airs tomorrow, and that we'll get a happy ending for Rumbelle!


End file.
